POM::
by ChibiFrubaGirl
Summary: [AxelxRiku] [Twoshot] [COPLETE]Why does Riku eat pomegranites? Written for Sugar Waffle.
1. Chapter 1

**//::POM:://**

Riku used to _like _eating pomegranates. He would split the large round rustic red fruit down the middle and break the two halves into large chunks of tiny globule, being held together only by the peel of skin they were attached to.

He would then proceed to grab one hunk of the little red beads, and tear off the thin layer of almost clear, slightly nonexistent white film that coated the ruby pebbles. After that all that separated the scarlet gems from his mouth was air and space.

Space that he would quickly close. He'd bite off mouthfuls of tiny ruby-red seeds, expertly avoiding the bitter white inside-skin. Then he'd greedily suck up any juice that might have burst out of its round little container. The result was a weird slurping noise that made Kairi giggle and Sora blush and squirm.

And whenever any juice escaped his leech-like sucking and dribbled down his fingers he'd put the portion of fruit down and lick his sticky fingers clean.

Back when Riku still thought he was straight, Kairi would tease him and say, "Riku. You eat pomegranates like a total gay!" Riku would then respond with a playful punch.

After Riku had confided in his two best friends his switch in sexuality Kairi had stopped using that to nag him. Riku guessed it was because she'd believed he would take it too personally now that they _knew _he was actually gay. He often wanted to tell Kairi that it was okay if she teased him about it. Because after all, teasing him about being gay was like teasing Sora about being "vertically challenged".

But he still enjoyed eating pomegranates.

Yes, there had been a time when Riku had definetly _enjoyed_ eating pomegranates.

These days however he did it out of habit. These days it was out of jealousy and hatred.

Eating pomegranates was his way of escaping his harsh reality.

Axel.

Now whenever he needily eats the tiny sparkling rubies, he imagines that the tiny red packets of juice are really each tiny mini-versions of the red-headed pyro. And then the biting, and chewing, and sucking and licking only increase and become more desperate.

Because he _knows _he'll never have the real thing. Because he _knows _the real thing is crazy about that stupid blonde Roxas.

And so, he eats pomegranates… And eats and eats and eats…

**Author's Note: **Well… here it is… my second AxelxRiku… I was eating a pomegranate when I thought of the idea y'know! Riku came out sounding a bit… sex-deprived… Well… Maybe Axel will be able to fix that in the second chapter of this little two-shot!

Hm… maybe the rating should go up…

Please tell me what you think of my story!

In other words:

"God damn it people! REVIEW!!!"

Hee hee… Please?

bliss


	2. POM

Chapter Two

Axel had never _really _liked eating pomegranates.

He knew Riku craved them like a madman but he'd never really grown that attached to the red fruit.

First off, you had to cut them open and Axel hated doing that. There were so many little seeds in there that he found it virtually impossible to crack one open without receiving a faceful of red stingy juice.

And then there was the unfortunate matter of eating it. This was possibly the thing that irked Axel the most about pomegranates. Axel could never quite get used to the idea of picking off **one **seed **at a time**. They were so round, and even though they tasted good enough he couldn't help but find the whole process completely unsatisfying. I mean for God's sakes, ONE **seed **_at a time?!_

Axel figured that he had a life. A life that could not be wasted eating pomegranates just for that little squirt of juice that lasted for exactly three milliseconds (and yes he _had _timed it).

Of course Axel had tried to eat pomegranates like Riku too. He would try biting off chucks of whole bunches of seeds, chewing large mouthfuls at once. But then he would always end up biting off a piece of the white inside skin. The bitter, _bitter_ inside skin. Axel had come to the conclusion that that inside skin did not like him very much.

And of course even _after _trying to stomach that god awful acidic skin he would _still_ have to deal with the little hard crunchy white core inside each of the little round pellets. So through it all Axel had come to one conclusion. Pomegranates were a bitter nasty waste of his precious time.

One day when Axel had been spending the afternoon at Riku's house, Riku had offered him some of the fruit. Like always his face had brightened at the prospect of eating his favorite food with his best friend (this had been before Roxas had come into the picture). But Axel had merely brushed him off with a brisk:

"Pomegranates are over-rated."

The crest-fallen look on the silver-haired teen's face made the red head want to roll his eyes and apologize all at once.

Then one day Roxas moved to town. He and Axel had become immediate friends and started spending all of their time together. A lot of people had teased the two about "being together" but they shrugged these remarks off. After all, two gay guys could be friends without actually liking each other.

After Roxas's arrival Axel and Riku had started spending less time together. Sometimes he got the feeling the younger one was avoiding him, but the red head would always brush off these absurd ideas because he and Riku were making new friends. Hey, it happens right? He never noticed the dejected way Riku watched he and Roxas in the hallways or the way he sat alone in the corner during lunch.

Because the plain fact of the matter was that Riku was miserable. And for whatever reason the pyro just could not face that. Maybe he didn't want to blame himself or maybe he was just too obsessed with his new buddy to notice.

There had been a time when a boy named Sora and his female friend Kairi had tried to pull Riku out of his little shell. But it hadn't worked out. The three still hung out a little every now and then, but when they did it mostly comprised of Sora and Kairi laughing and talking and overall just plain old dragging Riku around. I mean hello? Third wheel much?

And then came that ever faithful day. Axel had to go the Riku's because the two had been assigned to each other as science partners.

"Hey," said Axel, trying to sound casual. It had been a long time.

"Hello," said Riku quietly, eyes downcast and dark from lack of sleep.

"You look beat," said Axel, pushing his silver bangs out of his eyes to glimpse Riku's eyes. Although Riku had swatted his arm away almost as immediately as Axel had used it to push the hair out of his face, the instant that Axel had had to see them nearly sent him toppling backwards.

Where once piercing aqua eyes had been now sat two large dusty faded aqua discs. The result was almost grey… Almost. There was still a sad trace of color left. His eyes were lined with dark bags and the tips were crusted with sleep.

_Is all of this… because of… me? And Roxas?_

And for the first time since his friendship with Roxas Axel actually questioned Riku's happiness.

"What?" asked Riku coldly, taking a step backwards.

"Are… What… What happened to you?" asked Axel in disbelief.

"Nothing, I'm fine," snapped Riku, "look let's just get on with the project."

"But what-

"Drop it!"

"Okay…" Axel mumbled.

"What topic were we assigned?" asked Riku, as he sat down on the couch, and Axel watched in awe at the way his body seemed to fold into itself and crumple. After that Axel began to notice other things as well. Like the way Riku's skin had gotten so much paler and the way he jerked away at any skin contact. And then there was the way his hair fell over his face, well it had always done that but this was different… More depressed.

They worked through the project in silence, only speaking every now and then to ask the other a question about the assignment or perhaps plan a few things out. Axel was surprised by how much quieter Riku seemed even when he did talk.

"Riku?" he asked, finally summing up enough courage to bring up the topic.

"…What?" the other's voice was soft and delicate. And Axel imagined that if it were given form it would be a pale puff of snowy powder.

"Do you… I mean… Who do you hang out with usually?"

Riku seemed a little taken aback from the sudden personal question and for an instant he lifted his face at Axel in surprise, before lowering it and hiding his gaze.

"I don't know… Sora and Kairi have been nice…"

"Are they your friends?" Axel asked, prompting Riku forward into conversation with all he had.

Riku didn't answer for the longest time, "I don't know… They say they are but… I don't know… I guess they are…"

"Really? But I don't see you hanging out with them that much," said Axel trying to make it sound like an innocent comment.

"…I don't have to spend all my time with them…"

"Well, who do you spend it with then?" Axel's voice was rising with suppressed emotion. He was mad at Riku for not coming to him for help sooner… He was scared because somewhere deep down he knew this was his fault… And he wanted to fix it.

"…No one really… I don't mind…" he added that last part as an after thought, as if he'd thought Axel would get angry at him.

"But… Why?" asked Axel voice cracking, tears threatening to spill, his voice shook. Riku looked up briefly when he noticed this.

"I… I don't know…"

"Why do you keep saying 'I don't know'?" he nearly shouted, causing Riku to flinch.

"I- I don't know…" Then he quickly added, "It's all I can think of to say…"

Axel stared at Riku in silence for minutes, slowly growing more and more irritated at everything. Riku, himself, Roxas… And that goddamned clock that just kept ticking.

"But why? What's wrong with you? Why are you so-…"

He stopped and his arms hung at his side loosely. Riku didn't make any movements from the couch.

"I- I…" slowly as if they were weighed down by lead Riku drew his legs up and folded them into his chest, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in his knees.

"Riku? Riku what's wrong? Please tell me…" Axel took a hesitant step towards the younger boy and tentatively reached out an arm, "Are you alright?"

No answer. The silence stretched and the minutes ticked.

But Riku didn't move and Axel never removed his hand from Riku's pale arm. Finally he sighed and decided it was time to try getting Riku to talk again, "Please talk to me…"

"I- I can't."

His voice is shaking worse than Axel's and his shoulders begin to tremble as soon as the words reach Axel's ears.

"Why not?" Axel asked softly.

"… I don't know… I really don't! Please… please don't get mad…"

"I won't," whispered Axel, sitting down next to Riku and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. They sat like that for a while until Riku's breathing slowed and he stopped shaking.

"I'm going to go get something from my bag," said Axel standing up.

He walked over to the main entrance and pulled out a round bottle from his bags.

When he sat back down Riku looked up and sniffed a few times, "Wh- What is it?" he questioned.

"It's POM!" exclaimed Axel cheerfully brandishing the round bubble-like bottle in the other's face, "This way you don't have to bother with real pomegranates and all their icky seeds and bitter skin and squirty-ness!" Riku stared at the bottle as if fixated.

Axel went on to say a bunch of things about the horrors of really pomegranates and how this was really much better cause it came in a kinky container and they had different flavors. But Riku wasn't listening. He stared at the juice as it swirled around it's little home and after quite a while one thought managed to wedge itself in his brain:

_I won't have to eat pomegranates ever again…_

Suddenly he flung himself at Axel, wrapping his arms around the red head's waist and sobbing into his chest. Sobbing out of pure relief.

"Th- thank you…"

Axel looked down as if unsure, but then he smiled and returned to hug.

He'd made up his mind. He was going to fix this. This Riku. He was going to fix him. He would make it all right as rain and pretty soon Riku's skin color would return, and his eyes would shine again, and he would smile and laugh and he'd finally be able to call Sora and Kairi his friends without having to sound unsure of himself…

_Yes, _thought Axel, _everything's going to be alright now…_

_I'm going to fix it._

**End.**

**Author's Note: **I'm buried under a mountain of fics… This is just one among many I have to finish… But… Oh well at least this one's done!

…

--

But there are still so many more… Ugh.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Especially Sugar Waffle! I was listening to "How to Save a Life" by The Fray when I wrote it… Thanks to CrazziJaney for showing me that song!

bliss


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